Louise Fletcher was an actress who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
- Died: September 23, 2022 (Who else died on September 23?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Montdurausse, France at the age of 88.
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Acting career
Nurse Ratched was Fletcher’s first major role, after a handful of TV appearances and a few small movie roles. Her performance of the tyrannical psychiatric nurse became iconic: The American Film Institute called Nurse Ratched the fifth greatest villain in movie history. In addition to her Oscar for Best Actress, Fletcher won a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe for her performance. Though “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was Fletcher’s most notable film, she worked steadily for more than four decades after its success. Her movies included “Exorcist II: The Heretic,” “Brainstorm,” “Firestarter,” “Flowers in the Attic,” and “Cruel Intentions.” Fletcher had recurring roles on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” as the Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn and on “Shameless” as the matriarch Peggy Gallagher. Her many other TV appearances included “Tales from the Crypt,” “Picket Fences,” “7th Heaven,” “Heroes,” and “Girlboss.”
Fletcher on Nurse Ratched
“She had sacrificed her life for other people. She hasn’t married, hadn’t done this, hadn’t done that, and was self-sufficient on her own leading this life, because she dedicated her life, her earlier life, to other people who needed her.” —from a 2018 interview for Vanity Fair
Tributes to Louise Fletcher
Full obituary: The New York Times
